Police in Troy, Michigan, reportedly arrested four people, including the facility's owner, in connection with the death of a 5-year-old boy who was inside a high-pressure chamber when it exploded at a medical facility in January.
Detroit Fox 2 Tammi Peterson, founder and CEO of Troy's Oxford Centre, reported that he was arrested at his home before 7am Monday due to the death of five-year-old Thomas Cooper.
Peterson is expected to be charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, the station reported.
Her company owned and operated the hyperveil room that was inside when Cooper exploded.
The boy was killed in a high-pressure oxygen chamber, remembered as “inquisitive, energetic, and smart,” as his family intends to sue.
Thomas Cooper died when the room he was inside exploded in Michigan. (Tomask Commercial's Family)
In addition to Peterson, the other three are expected to be charged with the same crime, but one of these three will be charged with forgery of medical records.
Fox 2 reported that the names of the other three individuals have not been released.
The Detroit Free Press reported that all four of them are scheduled to be arrested in district court on Tuesday.
Troy police did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for additional information and comment.
Celebrities like Beaver, Biarik use hyperbaric oxygen therapy: This is why it's trending
According to Johns Hopkins, patients who have undergone high-pressure ventilator treatment “enter a special chamber to breathe pure oxygen at air pressure levels 1.5 to 3 times higher than average.” (©Daily News and Wicked Local Staff Photo/Ken McGagh/USA Today Network)
When contacted in the comments, the Oxford Centre lawyer issued a statement to Fox 2, saying he was fully cooperative with investigators, but was disappointed with the charges.
“The timing of these fees is surprising as the typical protocol after a fire-related accident is not yet complete. Still, there are still notable questions about how this happened. However, the Attorney General's office has begun to pursue the charges without those answers,” the statement reads. “Our top daily priority is the safety and well-being of the children and families we serve. This continues during this process.”
On the day of the fatal explosion, the boy's mother, Annie Cooper, sat in the waiting room, but his son was treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sleep apnea.
Doctor loses license to fire in oxygen chamber that killed 2
Thomas Cooper died when the room he was inside exploded in Michigan. (Tomask Commercial's Family)
Thomas was receiving treatment made up of 100% oxygen on January 31 at the Oxford Center, about 24 miles north of Detroit.
“She was in the waiting room and was warned that … something wrong had happened. She rushed back to her son's location and tried to give him a try. “She suffered serious and serious burns in that attempt to save the child.”
Fieger Law is investigating the incident, and Harrington believes the Oxford Centre is “a shortage of staff and lacking resources for such an emergency.”
The Oxford Centre stated on its website: “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an alternative treatment that reduces inflammation, oxygenates the whole body, stimulates the growth of new healthy blood vessels, and stimulates stem cell growth that increases up to 800% after 20 sessions.
Click here to get the Fox News app
When Troy police and firefighters arrived at the scene, Thomas was dead in the room, but Annie suffered an injury to her arm.
James Cooper, father of Annie and her husband Thomas, buried the 5-year-old on February 13th. Thomas was known as a curious, energetic, clever, sentimental and thoughtful boy by all his friends, family and teachers,” his obituary said.
Oudrey Conklin of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
